The federal government says it will expand the school feeding programme to reach 50 million Nigerian pupils by 2026.
The federal government has announced plans to expand the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) to reach 50 million primary school pupils by 2026.
Aderemi Adebowale, national programme manager of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, noting that the scheme would cover all primary levels and gradually integrate out-of-school children.
“We are working to include early years – primary 1 to 3, primary 4 to 6 – in the school feeding programme, and also out-of-school children, which we are handling step by step to integrate,” Adebowale said. “So, by the year 2026, we are looking at feeding close to 50 million pupils in primary school in Nigeria.”
She explained that meals would cost between ₦500 and ₦1,000 per child daily, with prices regulated through agreements with smallholder farmers, aggregators, and agri-vendors to ensure affordability.
The initiative builds on the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Project launched in May 2025 by then Humanitarian Minister Nentawe Yilwatda, now APC national chairman, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term agenda.